Quebec Votes 2014: Drama and levity on the campaign trail, told in photos

The Gazette03.26.2014

How do you like my bus? The lieutenant-governor dissolved the National Assembly on March 5. and called the election for April 7. Cue the photos of the leaders with their campaign buses. François Legault of the Coalition AvenirJacques Boissinot
/ Canadian Press

Hi. Hello. How do you like my bus? Here's Philippe Couillard of the Quebec Liberal Party, and his bus-sized likeness, on March 12, 2014.Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

The workplace visit is a campaign staple and the most likely to produce amusing photos (Google “Gilles Duceppe and cheese factory” for the gold standard). Here are #qc2014’s leaders on a few workplace sites. François Legault of the Coalition Avenir Québec here test drives a boat's joystick navigation system in handles a joystick navigation system for boats in Trois-Rivieres on Monday March 10.Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois greets students at a training school in Montreal, but doesn't even get close to popping on this employee's skeleton-emblazoned welder's mask.Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

Quebec Liberal leader Philippe Couillard follows the lead of his guide at a garage door factory on March 13, 2014 in St-Georges, Que.Jacques Boissinot
/ Canadian Press

Arguably the most dramatic moment was Pierre Karl Péladeau’s entry into the race, declaring with a fist pump that he was running for the Parti Québécois in the Saint-Jérôme “to leave my children a country of which they can be proud.”Graham Hughes
/ The Canadian Press

Timing can make or break anyone during a campaign. Or create a perfect photo opportunity. Even before Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard began rising as a force for the Parti Québécois to reckon with, someone offered the perfect prop. Here, Couillard puts up his dukes at a mixed-martial-arts gym on March 12.Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

Possibly the most passed-around image of the campaign was “the shove.” Four days after standing beside Pierre Karl Péladeau at the announcement of his candidacy, PQ leader Pauline Marois introduced him at a campaign stop and then pushed him aside to answer a question addressed to him. This link also includes Radio Canada's video of the scene.Via YouTube
/ youtube.com/user/RadioCanada

So when do candidates eat? Meals are a universal bonding experience, but being photographed eating? Tough to pull off. PQ leader Pauline Marois takes a careful approach on March 14 at a lunch with Montreal voters.Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

But a little bit of maple makes for a sweeter photo in Sainte-Angele-de-Premont, Sunday, March 23, 2014.Graham Hughes
/ Canadian Press

CAQ’s François Legault has taken a more playful approach. Here, he serves poutine on March 10 at a resto in Saint-Germain-de-Grantham.Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

The CAQ's François Legault samples some wine on March 8 while campaigning at a micro-brewery on March 8, 2014 in St. Joseph-du-Lac.Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

The Gazette’s @monique_muise tweeted on March 13: “Asked Marois why she has barely mentioned #charte over the last week. Her answer: This is only day 8. It’s coming” But Samar Assoum beat her to the punch on March 15, confronting Marois during a mall visit. “Instead of saying that public servants can’t wear a headscarf, we should encourage people to enrich society … for me, what’s important is what’s inside a woman’s head.”. Radio Canada’s YouTube video captures the exchange: http://youtu.be/tbkKLRmOf3IMonique Muise
/ The Gazette

Fans of House of Cards will remember how consumed Vice-President Frances Underwood became with perfecting (or not blowing) his opening pitch in front of a Major League Baseball crowd. The hockey game that CAQ’s François Legault laced up for on March 15 was much more casual … but harder on the knee!Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

Show of hands: How many distinctly different hand gestures could you come up with if you gave a minimum of a half dozen speeches a week? It’s a fine art. Here, PQ leader Pauline Marois starts close in, during a stop in Blainville on March 17.Ryan Remiorz
/ Canadian Press

A little looser in her framing here, March 10 in St Bruno-de-Montarville. ...Dave Sidaway
/ The Gazette

... and the gesture widens a bit more, March 12 in Quebec City, ...Clement Allard
/ Canadian Press

... and the sweeping finish, seen here early on in the 2014 campaign, on March 8.Graham Hughes
/ Canadian Press

Québec solidaire leader Françoise David favoured a more open, palms-up gesture during the leaders' debate Thursday, March 20, 2014 in Montreal.Paul Chiasson
/ Canadian Press

The precision gesture is a nice change up, mirroring the gesture for "OK", seen here during a March campaign call at Café L'Itinéraire.John Kenney
/ The Gazette

MONTREAL - The 2014 Quebec general election campaign is 33 days, hurtling toward voting day, April 7. That works out to 47,520 minutes, in any of which a candidate can give a shove, pull on glossy red boxing gloves or take a spill on the ice in A Habs jersey.

Here are those and a few other moments from this campaign, told in photos.

(Editor's note: This is best viewed on desktop. App readers, please swipe through the photos attached to this the story.)

How do you like my bus? The lieutenant-governor dissolved the National Assembly on March 5. and called the election for April 7. Cue the photos of the leaders with their campaign buses. Here is François Legault of the Coalition Avenir.

Hi. Hello. How do you like my bus? Here's Philippe Couillard of the Quebec Liberal Party, and his bus-sized likeness, on March 12, 2014.

The workplace visit is a campaign staple and the most likely to produce amusing photos (Google “Gilles Duceppe and cheese factory” for the gold standard). Here are #qc2014’s leaders on a few workplace sites. François Legault of the Coalition Avenir Québec here test drives a boat's joystick navigation system in handles a joystick navigation system for boats in Trois-Rivieres on Monday March 10.

Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois greets students at a training school in Montreal, but doesn't even get close to popping on this employee's skeleton-emblazoned welder's mask.

Quebec Liberal leader Philippe Couillard follows the lead of his guide at a garage door factory on March 13, 2014 in St-Georges, Que.

Arguably the most dramatic moment was Pierre Karl Péladeau’s entry into the race, declaring with a fist pump that he was running for the Parti Québécois in the Saint-Jérôme “to leave my children a country of which they can be proud.”

Timing can make or break anyone during a campaign. Or create a perfect photo opportunity. Even before Liberal Leader Philippe Couillard began rising as a force for the Parti Québécois to reckon with, someone offered the perfect prop. Here, Couillard puts up his dukes at a mixed-martial-arts gym on March 12.

Possibly the most passed-around image of the campaign was “the shove.” Four days after standing beside Pierre Karl Péladeau at the announcement of his candidacy, PQ leader Pauline Marois introduced him at a campaign stop and then pushed him aside to answer a question addressed to him. This link also includes Radio Canada's video of the scene.

So when do candidates eat? Meals are a universal bonding experience, but being photographed eating? Tough to pull off. PQ leader Pauline Marois takes a careful approach on March 14 at a lunch with Montreal voters.

But a little bit of maple makes for a sweeter photo in Sainte-Angele-de-Premont, Sunday, March 23, 2014.

CAQ’s François Legault has taken a generally more playful approach. Here, he serves poutine on March 10 at a resto in Saint-Germain-de-Grantham.

And here, Legault samples some wine on March 8 while campaigning at a micro-brewery on March 8, 2014 in St. Joseph-du-Lac.

The Gazette’s @monique_muisetweeted on March 13: “Asked Marois why she has barely mentioned #charte over the last week. Her answer: This is only day 8. It’s coming” But Samar Assoum beat her to the punch on March 15, confronting Marois during a mall visit. “Instead of saying that public servants can’t wear a headscarf, we should encourage people to enrich society … for me, what’s important is what’s inside a woman’s head.”. Here, you can watch Radio Canada’s YouTube video of the exchange.

Fans of House of Cards, Season 2 will remember how consumed Vice-President Frances Underwood became with perfecting (or not blowing) his opening pitch in front of a Major League Baseball crowd. The hockey game that CAQ’s François Legault laced up for on March 15 was much more casual … but harder on the knee!

Show of hands: How many distinctly different hand gestures could you come up with if you gave a minimum of a half dozen speeches a week? It’s a fine art. Here, PQ leader Pauline Marois starts close in, during a stop in Blainville on March 17.

A little looser in her framing here, March 10 in St Bruno-de-Montarville. ...

... and the gesture widens a bit more, March 12 in Quebec City, ...

... and the sweeping finish, seen here early on in the 2014 campaign, on March 8.

Québec solidaire leader Françoise David favoured a more open, palms-up gesture during the leaders' debate Thursday, March 20, 2014 in Montreal.

The precision gesture is a nice change up, mirroring the gesture for either "OK" or "nada", seen here during a March campaign call by the PQ's Pauline Marois at Café L'Itinéraire.

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Quebec Votes 2014: Drama and levity on the campaign trail, told in photos

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By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.